Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 1999
Tornado Warning 1, NWS Pittsburgh, PA
NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this tornado warning at Apr 9, 1999, 3:39 PM EDT for Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 51 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 9, 1999, 3:39 PM EDT (19:39 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 9, 1999, 4:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 51 min
- Issued by
- NWS Pittsburgh, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Westmoreland County, PA
The radar
The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 68 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:41 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 3:42 PM EDT | Hail 0.75 | Stahlstown, PA |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.
The watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 12:30 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 7.7 hours before the alert went out and 233 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2194 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 46 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 307 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 614 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
999 WFUS1 KPIT 091940 RRA TORPIT PAC129-092030- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 339 PM EDT FRI APR 9 1999 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... WESTMORELAND COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. * UNTIL 430 PM EDT. * AT 335 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO JUST WEST OF MT PLEASANT...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. * THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR... YOUNGWOOD AT 345 PM. WEST FAIRFIELD AT 355 PM. <<CALL TO ACTION>>IF YOU ARE IN A CAR...GO IN A NEARBY STURDY BUILDING AS A LAST RESORT LIE FLAT IN A DITCH AND COVER YOUR HEAD. .END/
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Apr 9, 11:55 AM EDT, 3 hours 44 minutes before
MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023- 029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-092000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 1155 AM EDT FRI APR 9 1999 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...AND GARRETT COUNTY MARYLAND. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW WILL BE APPROACHING THE REGION FROM THE WEST THIS AFTERNOON. THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN QUITE UNSTABLE AHEAD OF THIS DISTURBANCE AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. IT APPEARS THAT DAMAGING STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THIS AFTERNOON. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO EAST CENTRAL OHIO AS EARLY AS 100 TO 200 PM AND INTO WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA BY 300 TO 400 PM. IN ADDITION...HEAVY DOWNPOURS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING PROBLEMS...ESPECIALLY WHERE SEVERAL STORMS PASS OVER THE SAME LOCATION. ISOLATED RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF OVER ONE INCH ARE POSSIBLE. AS A RESULT...SKYWARN AND HAM RADIO NETWORK ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA SOURCES FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON THIS SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL. WJD/RWH
Special weather statement, Apr 9, 11:55 AM EDT, 3 hours 44 minutes before
MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023- 029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-092000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 1155 AM EDT FRI APR 9 1999 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...AND GARRETT COUNTY MARYLAND. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW WILL BE APPROACHING THE REGION FROM THE WEST THIS AFTERNOON. THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN QUITE UNSTABLE AHEAD OF THIS DISTURBANCE AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. IT APPEARS THAT DAMAGING STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THIS AFTERNOON. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO EAST CENTRAL OHIO AS EARLY AS 100 TO 200 PM AND INTO WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA BY 300 TO 400 PM. IN ADDITION...HEAVY DOWNPOURS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING PROBLEMS...ESPECIALLY WHERE SEVERAL STORMS PASS OVER THE SAME LOCATION. ISOLATED RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF OVER ONE INCH ARE POSSIBLE. AS A RESULT...SKYWARN AND HAM RADIO NETWORK ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA SOURCES FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON THIS SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL. WJD/RWH
Local storm report, Apr 9, 3:06 PM EDT, 33 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
306 PM EDT FRI APR 09 1999
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0120 PM ZANESVILLE OH WIND DAMAGE
04/09/99 MUSKINGUM POWER LINES DOWN
0130 PM ZANESVILLE MUNI ARPT OH 58 MPH TSTM GUST
04/09/99 MUSKINGUM
0144 PM NEW MOSCOW OH WIND DAMAGE
04/09/99 COSHOCTON TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN
0150 PM AVA OH WIND DAMAGE
04/09/99 NOBLE TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN
0200 PM KIMBOLTON OH WIND DAMAGE
0200 PM NEWCOMERSTOWN OH WIND DAMAGE
04/09/99 TUSCARAWAS TREE DOWN
0215 PM BETHESDA OH WIND DAMAGE
04/09/99 BELMONT TREES DOWN
0220 PM POWHATAN PT OH 65 MPH TSTM GUST
04/09/99 BELMONT ESTIMATED WINDS 60-70MPH
0229 PM WHEELING ARPT WV 58 MPH TSTM GUST
04/09/99 OHIO
0230 PM FAIRVIEW WV 58 MPH TSTM GUST
04/09/99 MARSHALL ESTIMATED
0235 PM WHEELING WV 1 INCH HAIL
04/09/99 OHIO
0239 PM RAYLAND OH WIND DAMAGE
04/09/99 JEFFERSON TREE DOWN
NNNNLocal storm report, Apr 9, 3:06 PM EDT, 33 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
306 PM EDT FRI APR 09 1999
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0120 PM ZANESVILLE OH WIND DAMAGE
04/09/99 MUSKINGUM POWER LINES DOWN
0130 PM ZANESVILLE MUNI ARPT OH 58 MPH TSTM GUST
04/09/99 MUSKINGUM
0144 PM NEW MOSCOW OH WIND DAMAGE
04/09/99 COSHOCTON TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN
0150 PM AVA OH WIND DAMAGE
04/09/99 NOBLE TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN
0200 PM KIMBOLTON OH WIND DAMAGE
0200 PM NEWCOMERSTOWN OH WIND DAMAGE
04/09/99 TUSCARAWAS TREE DOWN
0215 PM BETHESDA OH WIND DAMAGE
04/09/99 BELMONT TREES DOWN
0220 PM POWHATAN PT OH 65 MPH TSTM GUST
04/09/99 BELMONT ESTIMATED WINDS 60-70MPH
0229 PM WHEELING ARPT WV 58 MPH TSTM GUST
04/09/99 OHIO
0230 PM FAIRVIEW WV 58 MPH TSTM GUST
04/09/99 MARSHALL ESTIMATED
0235 PM WHEELING WV 1 INCH HAIL
04/09/99 OHIO
0239 PM RAYLAND OH WIND DAMAGE
04/09/99 JEFFERSON TREE DOWN
NNNNThe office that day
Everything else NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 2:33 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PBZ | Washington | 58 min |
| Apr 9, 2:44 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PBZ | Greene | 59 min |
| Apr 9, 2:52 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Allegheny, Washington | 3 hr |
| Apr 9, 2:54 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PBZ | Allegheny | 60 min |
| Apr 9, 2:58 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Fayette, Greene | 3 hr |
| Apr 9, 3:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PBZ | Fayette, Westmoreland | 79 min |
| Apr 9, 4:06 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Beaver | 2 hr |
| Apr 9, 4:19 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Westmoreland | 3 hr |
| Apr 9, 4:23 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Butler | 3 hr |
| Apr 9, 5:51 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Washington, Westmoreland | 4 hr |
| Apr 9, 6:59 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Fayette | 3 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1999Every tornado warning in 1999Tornadoes in 1999
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.